Synergistic Antioxidant Activity of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Fruit Peels and Date Palm Fruit (Phoenix dactylifera)

Politeknik Kesehatan Putra Indonesia Malang, Malang, East Java, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: abiyatur@gmail.com

Abstract

The phenolic content in pomegranate peel contributes significantly to its antioxidant properties. The peel contains various bioactive compounds. Similar to pomegranate, dates also exhibit antioxidant activity due to their polyphenolic compounds. This research aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of combined extracts of pomegranate and dates. The total phenolic content of pomegranate extract (70,567.80 μg GAE) was considerably higher than that of date extract (7,532.40 μg GAE). Likewise, the antioxidant activity of pomegranate extract (70.83 μg/ml) exceeded that of date extract (2,318.07 μg/ml). Among the mixtures tested, the highest antioxidant activities were observed in the 75:25, 50:50, and 25:75 combinations, with values of 175.14 μg/ml, 257.67 μg/ml, and 660.21 μg/ml, respectively. The concentration and type of antioxidants play an important role in determining whether their interaction produces a synergistic effect. Overall, the antioxidant activity of the single pomegranate extract was superior compared to both the mixed extracts and the single date extract. Thus, combining pomegranate and date extracts reduces overall antioxidant capacity and results in an antagonistic effect. The study concludes that pomegranate extract alone has the greatest potential as a candidate antioxidant for the prevention of various degenerative diseases.